So far disappointed in Mazda3 Hatchback seat and phone charger

geodug

Member
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shopping CX-5
I am on holiday and rented a Mazda3 hatchback to get a first hand feel for this model. Two things immediately leap to mind.

1. After a couple hours of driving I pulled over for a snooze. Not only are the seats pretty stiff but both driver and passenger seats do NOT recline. No snooze in the plan.

2. During the drive I used the USB plug on the upside of the front console. This only charges a little if it does charge at all.

What kind of communist logic is this?
 
Still on vacation and generally like much of the Mazda3 hatchback. However all the cars I have owned for many years have had reclining driver and passenger seats. Never realized how important they are until you don't have them. Taking a break on long drives, waiting for kids, relieving sore muscles etc I guess I just took them for granted.

I solved the cell phone charging problem by buying a cigarette lighter powered charger. That was an unnecessary expense though and Mazda should have been a tiny bit more thoughtful.
 
That's odd that the seat doesn't recline. Even my MX5 seat reclines somewhat. The seats are stiff. Fortunately my seats eventually conformed enough so that they aren't uncomfortable, even with my stiffer suspension setup.
In my car there are two USB ports in the arm rest storage area. I have not needed to charge my phone in the car, since my commute is a reasonable 20 minutes + I have a replacement battery that I sometimes need to swap in. I am so happy that my phone has this feature which to me is better than having a waterproof phone that has an inaccessible battery.
 
both driver and passenger seats do NOT recline

Not familiar with the 3, but I find this hard to believe.
I've never owned a car where the seats didn't recline, even a little.
I can lower the seat backs in my 6, and my Nissan, to almost flat. Are you sure you're not missing something here?
 
Not familiar with the 3, but I find this hard to believe.
I've never owned a car where the seats didn't recline, even a little.
I can lower the seat backs in my 6, and my Nissan, to almost flat. Are you sure you're not missing something here?

That is why I posted here. I have been waiting for someone to tell me about:

a. the latch on the other side of the seat
b. the lumbar lever that needs to be pulled past the resistance point
c. some other hidden trick

So far, Mazda3 owners have been silent. Maybe the rental cars are very basic. I know the Navigation is absent.
 
My 2014 mazda3 hatch the driver & passenger seats recline almost until they hit the back seats, so not sure whats up with your rental, maybe somehow the seat adjustment got damaged?

As for the built in USB, its definitely a dissapointment, does not seem to support high amps, or fast charge, which is basically a must for any modern smartphone.
 
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